Colby Pearce has been a Steve Hogg Certified expert bike fitter for the past 10 years and has worked with elite athletes and WorldTour teams, including EF Education First. He is also an elite cycling coach and has been passing along his wisdom to the riders he coaches for decades. Pearce’s repertoire of knowledge spans 30 years, five continents, hundreds of races, and countless miles in the saddle. The minutiae of cycling and riding technique are just part of the story that Colby shares. Alignment with nature, foundational principles of health, and treating the sport as a practice are some of the philosophies he shares. Cycling in Alignment features a diverse guest list, including those who may or may not be familiar names in the cycling world. Prepare to have your belief systems shattered.
Episodes
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Aaron Barchek, Mosaic Cycles
This episode of Cycling in Alignment is with Mosaic Cycles founder and owner, Aaron Barcheck. Aaron and I discuss all the things about custom bicycles, including materials, geometry, integrated cockpits and 3D printed dropouts. We discuss the three major reasons a customer might want a custom frame, and how Mosaic builds frames to fit these needs.
As a Mosaic dealer and frame owner, it made sense for me to have a discussion with Aaron about his process so that I could understand it better and share it with my clients. The custom GT1-AR they made for me is one of the best bikes I have ever owned. It is great to work with a company that was born and lives in Colorado, and makes bikes in a facility that is about 3km away from my fit studio. I only recommend products I believe in and use myself and Mosaic definitely makes the cut.
Links:
Monica Website: https://www.mosaiccycles.com
Mosaic on Instagram: http://instagram.com/mosaiccycles
Mosaic on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mosaiccycles/
Thursday Nov 17, 2022
Thursday Nov 17, 2022
The Bioenergetics and Seasonality of Strength Training
This episode is a solo on strength training and why I think it is so important, including reasons why cyclists should strength train. I unpack specifics on misconceptions that some athletes have around strength training, and why I do not recommend using machines to strength train, ever. This is probably an unpopular opinion…but I have to speak my truth.
I also break down the bio-energetics of strength and discuss how strength training can be defined by the same energy systems that govern physiological response on the bike.
Think I am full of crap? Confused? Questions? Write me a note.
I hope you find this episode useful.
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Tea & Entropy - Ep94
This episode of Cycling in Alignment is a conversation with Molly Baron and Sasha Cucci from Entropy Designs. They have teamed up to create amazing custom paint jobs for bicycles, and have recently completed a Japanese themed paint layout on my custom carbon Appleman road bike.
We talk about the genesis of this project and how Molly has come to believe that her art belongs in the world and on the complex and nuanced canvas of a bicycle frame.
We also discuss the process of challenge and growth that Molly and Sasha went through in order to bring this painting business to life. They spent approximately 150 hours painting my Appleman, which included using indigo powder imported from Japan to create the blue hues, as well as real gold leaf. They also built a paint booth and coated the frame with diamond-hard Cerakote to protect the artwork during real world use. This bike won’t be a mantle or museum bike, it will be on the road climbing mountains and rocketing down hills, negotiating the black ribbon.
Together, Molly and Sasha make a gifted team that delivers a unique and beautiful product. Are you someone who would like the vision of a truly talented artist to transform your bike into a functional, durable work of art? If so, Entropy Designs is worth your investigation.
Links:
Entropy Designs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entropy_designs/
Entropy Designs Website: https://www.entropy-designs.com/
Thursday Oct 27, 2022
Thursday Oct 27, 2022
Kevin Sprouse: The Second Simplicity
This episode of Cycling in Alignment is with Team EF Easy Post doctor Kevin Sprouse. He interviewed me on his podcast channel, The Podium. Kevin asks me some great questions about bike fitting, and even though Kevin is a doctor, and a way faster runner than I am, he has also done a bit of bike fitting. So it’s more of a two-way conversation in some senses.
To wrap up the discussion, we discuss the contact points of your Victorian Era Contraption.
Thanks for listening. Please share this episode with someone if you think they will benefit from it.
Links:
Link 1: https://www.podiumsportsmed.com/kevin-sprouse
Saturday Oct 22, 2022
Saturday Oct 22, 2022
Kenny Baker, Listen to Understand
This conversation for the Cycling in Alignment podcast is with Chek Practioner, RAAM competitor, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and ELDOA / SOMA practitioner Kenny Baker. Kenny owns a studio in Tennesee, 51 Fitness, where he works to help clients heal themselves of pain and dysfunction. We speak about our relationship to racing as master’s athletes, and our somewhat parallel paths in the sport of cycling and holistic coaching, and Kenny talks about meeting the client where they are by becoming the “hollow bone”.
Links:
Kenny's Website: https://www.51fitness.org
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Episode 91 of Cycling in Alignment has nothing to do with cycling, and everything to do with cycling. Because how you do something is how you do everything.
Michael is a meditation instructor, martial artist, and sage. He brings the wisdom of the Mastery of Self to his students, in mental, physical, and spiritual domains. Michael leads by example as part of his instructive practice, and truly walks the walk of his own teachings.
Michael has an excellent six-part mediation class he taught online, it is free. The link to this class is in the bio, and in the show notes. For anyone who would like to experience Michael’s teachings, or who wants an excellent pathway to begin meditation, this course is highly recommended.
I hope you enjoy our discourse.
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Links:
6 part meditation series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIeRtRkxvQ8&t=85s
Micheal's Website: https://savageandsaint.com
Tribe Men's Community Website: https://www.tribemenscommunity.com
Michaels' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Savageandsaint/
Tribe Means Community Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tribemenscommunity/
Friday Sep 23, 2022
Friday Sep 23, 2022
Episode 90 of Cycling in Alignment is with Doctor of Chiropractic, Bike Fitter, and Inventor of the Infinity Saddle, Dr. Vince Marcel. Dr. Vince has a clinic in El Segundo, California where he treats patients and also performs bike fitting services. In this discussion, we talk about some of the alternative methods Dr. Vince uses to help return his clients to a state of optimal health, including blood analysis and other methods. We also discuss some of his observations on how visceral health can impact a rider’s position on the saddle. He shares some gems you are not likely to have heard before. I really enjoyed my time working with Dr. Vince and I am sure you will benefit from our discussion.
Links:
Dr. Vince --->
301 Main Street
Elsegundo, CA 90245
Infinity Bike Seat --->
https://www.instagram.com/infinitybikeseat/
Monday Sep 19, 2022
Monday Sep 19, 2022
This is a solo car pod, recorded in a deep meditative trance brought about by the desert landscape of southern California. Or, something along those lines…in this soliloquy, I give a non-scientific analysis of oval chainrings, and I connect this discussion to a topic that pervades modern sport, and life: the seeking of external expertise. What am I talking about? Find out in episode 89 of Cycling in Alignment.
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Todd Plymale-Mallory: Mind Body Soul Mechanic - Ep88
Today’s conversation is with acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist Todd Plymale-Mallory. Todd has been in the cycling and sports world as a practitioner and participant for many years. Today we discuss some of our philosophies on the relationship of athletics to life and how Chinese medicine relates to this topic. It’s a conversation that wanders into the weeds at times, and these are good weeds to wander into.
Links:
Todd's Website: https://www.toddplymalemallory.com/about
Todd's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tplymal/
MBS Medicinals Website: https://mbsmedicinals.com/
Charlie Merrill's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliemerrill/
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Friday Aug 26, 2022
This solo pod is about how Upper Cross Syndrome and Cycling magnify each other. I unpack what Upper Cross is, why you should care, and offer some things you can do about it.
“If you have a breathing dysfunction, you have a core dysfunction.”
“Every day you ride your bike, you should do postural corrections.”
“The more aerodynamic you are trying to be on a bike, the more likely it is that cycling is multiplying your Upper Cross postural distortions.”
I get on a bit of a roll and lay down some pretty solid statements on how we have to offset the posture that cycling puts us into. I also made this artwork to go along with my feelings on the topic.
Images coming soon...
Links:
Ep59: The Significance of Core in the Biomechanical Model:
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-cwesm-10e6c8f